


Coffee & Bad Pickup Lines

by Aria_Lerendeair



Series: Aria's Flufftober 2019 [27]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Bad Pickup Lines, College AU, Flirting, Human AU, M/M, Pining, Sassy Alec, Teasing, adorKable boys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-02
Updated: 2019-12-02
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:41:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21643096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aria_Lerendeair/pseuds/Aria_Lerendeair
Summary: Magnus flirts with Alec, badly.  Alec challenges him to do better, and then when we does, well.  It turns out he's not immune to his flirting.  At all.
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Series: Aria's Flufftober 2019 [27]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1505372
Comments: 13
Kudos: 306





	Coffee & Bad Pickup Lines

**Author's Note:**

> Flufftober Prompt Day 27: Coffee Shop
> 
> OH GOD THEY ARE SO CUTE.

If Alec hadn’t been driven by desperation and the possibility that he would spend the remainder of the semester eating nothing but noodles, he never would have considered going to work at a coffee shop of all places. But desperate times called for desperate measures. And Bean Break, the least awful coffee shop around campus, had actively been hiring for months now. 

  
Alec had sighed, bit the bullet, and put in his application. Thankfully, very thankfully, he’d been able to start working almost immediately. And despite the folks who seemed determined to ruin his days with coffee orders that were more complicated than his organic chemistry homework, it wasn’t hard work, and he was able to do it without much issue. 

  
His coworkers were…an eclectic bunch, especially the redhead who seemed to have a non-existent off button called Clary, but all in all, Alec didn’t despise them, and that was more than he thought he’d have. Besides, working here definitely had perks. 

  
“My turn on the register, Fray,” Alec called, topping off a drink with another shot of espresso, bringing it to the other counter, snorting when he didn’t get any reaction other than a glare for apparently taking too long. 

  
Clary frowned, about to protest when she looked up at the clock. “Ah, time for your not-so-secret admirer, huh?” 

  
Alec flushed and shook his head. “No, you’ve been doing it all day and I need a break,” he corrected, giving the same excuse that he gave every damn afternoon because he wasn’t original. But if he never admitted that she was right, she could never use it against him. 

  
Of course, the knowing look she gave him only a few minutes later when Magnus Bane, CEO of Bane Enterprises walked in, made him promise himself that she was not getting the register back for the rest of the day. She could bitch about her hair going limp all she liked, she was not going to-

  
“Alexander!" 

  
Alec couldn’t help smiling at the excitement that always seemed to be present when Magnus called out to him. He bit down a grin and waved at the businessman, ignoring the loud snort from Clary beside him. She was forever doomed to have her hair steamed during shift. 

  
"Mr. Bane, it’s a pleasure to see you again. Your usual?" 

  
"How many times am I going to have to ask you to call me Magnus, Alexander?” Magnus asked, leaning in to rest an elbow on the display case. He rolled his eyes. "We’ve only talked every day you have been working for the past month.“

  
"If by talked,” Alec teased, unable to keep from smiling, just the smallest amount. “You mean I took your coffee order, you used a frankly horrible pickup line-" 

  
"Which then you usually don’t rate above a 2, I might add,” Magnus interrupted. 

  
Alec narrowed his eyes. “Tell me that you don’t deserve those twos." 

  
Magnus grinned, unrepentantly. "I won’t deny it. You’ve made me rethink my whole paradigm of flirting, Alexander, yet you seem to be immune to it all." 

  
Clary snorted, loudly and obviously. 

  
Alec resisted the urge to glare at her, even though Magnus’ curious eyes snapped to her for a brief moment before coming back to him. "Not immune,” he admitted, watching Magnus’ eyes light up, flashing gold in the light, a color he could spend far too much time getting lost in. “I simply have standards." 

  
Magnus threw his head back and laughed. "And I admire you for them. Someday, perhaps, I’ll be able to achieve them." 

  
It was a game they played, a back and forth that kept the transaction from feeling awkward. It didn’t actually mean anything, but sometimes… Sometimes Alec let himself believe that it did mean something, and they weren’t just playing a cat and mouse game that was going to catch up with the both of them. 

  
"Alexander?" 

  
Alec snapped back to attention and gave Magnus a sheepish smile. "Sorry, been a long couple of nights. Let me get you all rung up." 

  
"No quip about never meeting your standards?” Magnus pressed, frowning as he handed his card over to Alexander. “I confess I’m almost disappointed." 

  
Alec hummed and got the order rung up, offering the card back to Magnus. There were two other people waiting behind him, but he couldn’t bear to leave Magnus looking like that, thinking that he didn’t meet every standard he had and then some. 

  
"You know,” Alec said, startling Magnus. He smiled when those eyes snapped back to him. “You meet all of my terribly lofty standards, Magnus." He deliberately used Magnus’ name and couldn’t help the shiver that went up his spine when Magnus’ eyes darkened and stayed on him, almost branding him with their weight. "I’m only waiting for a good pickup line to say yes to." 

  
Magnus’ eyes went wide and he burst into laughter again, his head falling back as he grinned, bright and open at Alexander. "Is that so?" 

  
Alec shrugged nonchalantly. "Maybe. I wouldn’t want you to think otherwise." 

  
"Well,” Magnus admitted, stepping away from the counter. “I shall have to bring my best to you tomorrow." 

  
Alec swallowed and couldn’t help the smile on his lips. "I look forward to it, Magnus.” He watched Magnus take a deep breath and collect the coffee from Clary before he headed for the door. 

  
It took the customer standing in front of him clearing her voice two separate times for Alec to look away from the window and to focus on him. Thankfully, she seemed more amused than upset. 

  
Now all he had to wait for was to see what Magnus would do tomorrow. 

  
~!~

  
“Alec, I swear to god if you don’t stop pacing I am going to lock you in the back so you miss him,” Clary threatened, watching Alec pace past her once more. 

  
Alec glared at her. “I’m stronger than you, you couldn’t actually do that." 

  
Clary snorted and put her hands on her hips. "Try me." 

  
Alec didn’t want to try the fierce look in her eyes. She was more dangerous than she looked. Jace had been dating her for months, he was well aware of just how dangerous she could be. "I’m nervous, okay?" 

  
Clary softened the tiniest bit. "What are you nervous about?" 

  
"What if his pickup line isn’t good?” Alec asked, turning to her in despair, only to watch as she burst out laughing. “What! I mean, our whole… _thing_ is built on the fact that I’ve been mocking him for how bad his pickup lines are, this one has to be good, Fray, or-" 

  
"Or what?” Clary asked, raising a mocking eyebrow. “You’re going to turn him down when you pretty much told him yesterday that you’re super into him, you’re just waiting for him to woo you with the proper line?" 

  
Alec bit down on his lip and scowled at her. "I wasn’t that obvious." 

  
Clary laughed, tossing her hair back and over her shoulder. "If that’s what helps you sleep at night Alec, sure, believe that. But believe me? You were. Even if you don’t want to believe it." 

  
Alec sighed again and debated draping himself over the counter in the dramatic way Clary tended towards when his brother (or other boys) were being stupid. But no, he wasn’t about to risk Magnus coming in to see him like that. 

  
"I have an idea,” Clary said after Alec paced by her. _Again_. 

  
Alec glanced at her as he made sure the cups were perfectly stacked, again. 

  
“Go restock the milk jugs. That’s the only thing you haven’t brought yourself to do and it has an added benefit." 

  
"What benefit?” Alec asked, scowling. 

  
Clary smirked and raised both of her eyebrows, her eyes briefly dropping to the tight black t-shirt Alec was wearing. Magnus wasn’t going to know what hit him. "Just trust me and do as I’m telling you. I’ll man the counter and I promise to give it up to you immediately when Magnus shows up."

  
Alec sighed and nodded, reluctantly heading for the back. It would be good to be stocked for the afternoon rush that Magnus’ visit always heralded anyways, and he wouldn’t need to worry about it while everything was crazy. He pushed through the curtain, two crates held in his arms when the door chimed. Alec couldn’t see who walked in, but as he put the crates on the counter, threading his fingers through four jugs at a time to put them in their other refrigerator, he heard Clary clear her throat. 

  
Alec looked up quickly, but there was no one standing in front of Clary. He frowned at her but then watched her point towards the door. Alec spun around and found Magnus standing just inside the door, his eyes wide and dark. 

  
Alec flushed and put the jugs of milk down immediately, brushing his hands off. "Magnus!" 

  
Calling Magnus’ name seemed to get his attention and Alec hip-checked Clary out of the way to stand at the counter. His whole body was vibrating with tension as he raised his eyebrows at Magnus, waiting for whatever today’s pickup line was going to be. 

  
"Alexander,” Magnus said. He smiled. "I thought long and hard about what pickup line to use on you today.“ 

  
"I look forward to seeing the fruits of such thinking,” Alec shot back, unable to keep the grin off of his face. 

  
“So here it is,” Magnus began, clearing his throat. “I have come here every day you have worked for the past month. But only on the days I’ve noticed you work. I don’t bother when you aren’t here. I order the most stupidly complicated drink I can think of, because it gives me a few extra seconds to talk to and tease you. I don’t even like it all that much." 

  
Alec stared at Magnus with wide eyes, his heart pounding. 

  
"Every day, you’ve given my teasing back, even sometimes getting the final word,” Magnus said with a wink. “I find myself very smitten with you, Alexander, and if you are amenable, I would like, very much, to take you out for dinner sometime soon." 

  
Alec blinked and stared at Magnus. ” _Dammit_ ,“ he muttered. Before Magnus’ face could fall, he sighed. "You had to bust out the perfect 10 out of 10, didn’t you?” Magnus lit up and Alec reminded himself he couldn’t get lost in staring at Magnus, not while he was at work anyways. 

  
“Only the best for you, darling,” Magnus drawled. “Does this mean you’re saying yes?" 

  
"This means,” Alec said, clearing his throat. “You’re picking me up on Friday at 7pm, and we’ll go wherever you want." 

  
Magnus’ eyes went wide. "Really?" 

  
Alec felt himself flushing as he nodded. "Yeah." 

  
Magnus stared at him and started to smile, unable to keep the expression off his face. 

  
Alec couldn’t look away, even if he had tried, because he’d never seen that smile on Magnus’ face before. He’d seen the teasing, taunting smile, the tired smile, and first-sip-of-caffeine-today smile. But this one? This one was threatening to bury into his heart and never leave. He took a quick second to glance around the shop before he reached out, took Magnus by the tie, and tugged at it until he was leaning over the counter enough for Alec to kiss him. 

  
In the background, Alec heard Clary shout, but he was lost in the soft press of Magnus’ lips, and in the hand that immediately came around his neck to steady himself. By the time he released his hold on Magnus’ tie, Alec had to give himself a shake and remember that he needed to finish his shift at the cafe. 

  
"Could we maybe move that dinner up to tonight?” Magnus whispered, his voice hoarse. “I don’t know if I can wait til Friday." 

  
Alec fished his phone out of his pocket and handed it to Magnus. "Here, put your number in, and we can figure that out on my lunch break." 

  
Magnus took the phone and entered his contact information, triple checking that he had it right before he handed the phone back to Alec, catching sight of him shivering as their fingertips brushed. "Text me?” he asked. 

  
“I will,” Alec promised, unable to keep from grinning. His lips were still tingling. "I’ll see you later, Magnus.“ 

  
"Indeed you will,” Magnus agreed, clearing his throat as he took his coffee and headed out of the shop. 

  
Alec scrambled for his phone, pulling up Magnus’ contact, sending him a text immediately. 

_  
‘I get off shift at 7pm and don’t work until 12pm tomorrow.'_

  
It was probably too eager, too much, but dammit, Alec was going to put his cards on the table now. He owed Magnus that, at the least. 

_  
'I’ll pick you up at 8, then?'_

  
A breath he hadn’t known he was holding left him and Alec grinned at his phone, tapping out a response. 

_  
'Sounds great. Maybe lose the tie?'_

  
Alec heard his phone ding again in response, but there were more customers coming in and he had to attend to them. When he finally got a chance to check his phone again later, he was glad that he’d waited until he was in the backroom to do it. 

_  
'Oh, I’m tempted to wear it. You see, I might be interested in how else you can use it against me. We’ll see what I decide tonight.'_

  
Alec groaned and couldn’t help the grin. If this is what his future held, then he certainly wasn’t about to complain. 

  
“Stop sexting and help me with the after office rush!” Clary shouted. 

  
“I’m not sexting!” Alec snapped, walking out of the back room. 

  
Clary took one look at his blush and rolled her eyes. “Right, I’m going to believe that never. Now hurry up and help me." 

  
Alec bit down on his lip and grabbed the cups that she had lined up for him. Maybe it had been a little sexting. Just a little. 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and Criticisms welcome!
> 
> Come join a Multifandom Discord Server -  
> [The Fandom Playhouse!](https://discord.gg/82pvdE39fD)
> 
> You can find me here:  
> [AriaLerendeair](http://arialerendeair.tumblr.com/)
> 
> And on twitter over here:  
> [Aria_Lerendeair](https://twitter.com/Aria_Lerendeair)


End file.
